Eric Jamili: First Filipino WBO World Champion
Filipino boxer Eric Jamili became the first Filipino to win a WBO world title when he stopped Britain’s Mickey Cantwell in the eighth round in London on December 19, 1997, capturing the vacant minimumweight belt. Jamili lost the title in his first defense, stopped by Kermin Guardia in the fifth round on May 30, 1998. PhilBoxing · BoxRec.
A southpaw from Silay
Jamili came from Silay in Negros Occidental and boxed from a southpaw stance. His professional career ran from 1995 to 2003, with his London title victory arriving relatively early in that span.
Before winning the full WBO championship, he held the organization’s Inter-Continental minimumweight title in 1997. That regional belt preceded the vacant world title opportunity against Cantwell, making the two honors separate steps in his career.
After the minimumweight reign
The Guardia defeat ended his world championship reign without a successful defense. Jamili later held a WBO Inter-Continental light-flyweight belt and challenged Zolani Petelo for the IBF minimumweight championship in 1999, but did not win another major world title.
PhilBoxing records his final professional total as fifteen wins, eleven losses and two draws, with eight knockout victories. His family connection to the sport included older brother Reynante Jamili, also a professional boxer.
The short reign remains significant in Philippine boxing because of the WBO milestone, while the later results show a career continuing beyond that single championship. Reading the regional titles, world title victory and subsequent challenges separately gives a clearer view of the achievements attached to his name.
Further career results
Jamili’s record also includes two intercontinental-title wins during 1998. He defeated Falazona Fidal in September and stopped Mateo Baring in December. The latter bout was listed at minimumweight, while the September contest was at light flyweight. He later won a unanimous decision over Danny Linasa in Imus in December 2002. In January 2003 he traveled to Los Mochis, where Hugo Cázares stopped him in a NABO light-flyweight title contest.
Sources
Additional sources: https://boxerlist.com/en/boxer/eric-jamili/6582
- PhilBoxing: Eric Jamili profile and title record
- BoxRec: Eric Jamili profile
- Sport & Note: Jamili–Cantwell and Guardia results
